The Washington critic., 1887-07-12
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


Says A. II. s. D., the Washington
correspondent Of the Minneapolis
7'riJu=s: Up to 1850 the National
Capital had to depend upon wells.
clsterns and springs for water to drink
and extinguish connagrations with.
No one had dreamed of the luxury of
being supplied with the necessary fluid
by the reservoir and pipe system, nor
had 1t entered the head of any moder.
ately well to do citizen that such ex-
,ravagance could be afforded, even If
It were possible. Consequently hun.
dreds of enterprising (?) citizens were
struck with amazement when Secretary
Stuart, In 1850, recommended the In
PRODUCTION of water into the metrop.
oils by means of reservoir on some
elevated point In its vicinity, and
thence distributed through the public
buildings and densely populated parts
of the city. And when In Jan.
uary, 1851, the Secretary of War
reported plan TO accomplish this at
an estimated cost of S500,000, and Mr..
Stuart urged its adoption, arguing that
the losses which had up to that time
been sustained by fire to the Treasury
building, General Postoillce and Patent
Office amounted to more than the esti.
mated cost of improvement, great
many people thought the whole Gov
ernment was going to destruction. But
this was the inceptive movement from
which has grown our present water
supply. When the first Republican
Secretary of the Interior. Caleb Smith,
made his second report, November 2,
1862, the supply of water was obtained
from Rock Creek, and during extreme
dry weather 1t was necessary to observe
the strictest economy In its use. In
December, 1868, the reservoirs for in.
PRODUCING Potomac water were com.
pleted and water was turned on, with
a capacity of 100000 gallons daily,
or 33t per cent. more than was used in
New York in 1861, when Its population
was 100000. But while contrasting
Washington of today with Washing
ton of 30 or 40 years ago, let us
not forget that the ideas and plans of
some of the moving and controlling
spirits Of those days were even more
Utopian than the widest visions of to.
day can create. And yet am not sure
that some of those plans ought not to
be adopted. A prominent official of
the Government, less than fifty years
ago, advocated the recommendation of
some other official that every State
should erect and furnish In Washing
ton and keep In repair suitable resi-.
dence for each of Its Senators. And
Secretary Stuart, when about to retire
as Secretary of the Interior, and when
no one could accuse him of selfishness,
urged upon Congress the propriety of
making appropriation for erecting and
furnishing suitable houses for the
accommodation of the Vice President
of the United States and the members
of the Cabinet. He considered
that the cost of house rent,
provisions, fuel, and indeed all the
necessaries of life in Washington had
risen to such degree as to require the
most rigid economy to enable the mem
bers of the Cabinet and the Vice Presi-
dent to live within their incomes If
they had such houses their salaries
would be sufficient for their
support; they would he freed from
the cares and cost of fitting up
an establishment, and could devote
their whole time to the duties of their
office. He was satisfied that eight sub.
stantial plain and tasteful houses could
be erected, furnished and fitted no for
occupation for 100000.
-.
Colonel Thomas Porterhouse Ochil'
tree has announced his intention of
running for Congress from New York
next year, and Is now raising cam
paign fund from among his friends to
assist him in getting there. He prefers
TO take Mayor Hewitt's old district
now represented by General Spinola,
lut the district is not of much import
ance. why, Sir" said the Colonel
to Sun reporter, In dilating on hi
chances, II have my choice of at leas
three districts. My old Galveston dis
trict in Texas would be glad to return
me. My friends at Saratoga have tim
and again asked me to accept an elec
tion from that district, but am wed
ded to New York, and / prefer to go to
Congress from here"
x~~
Says the New York World Of Sun
day Jake Sharp is missed from the
poker table at the Blossom Club. He
was one of the biggest poker players
and one Of the nerviest that the Bios
som Club has ever seen. A smashing
game without Sharp AT one of the foul
sides of the table was something whlct
the colored steward had never seer
until the railroad mans present dill
culties developed. Curiously enough
Colonel John II. Fellows, who did dC
much to convict Sharp, frequently 50
next TO the latter when these gamel
for big stakes and enormous
jackpots were in progress. Gen
eral Spinola was another frequen
member Of the company, and one who
did not display much hesitation il
hoisting Sharp's generous wagers
"Sharp always played poker to win,
said an eX.State Senator the other even
ing. "iIe sat down for business, ant
he insisted on all the rules of the gam
being observed. He played like al
automaton and frowned severely II au,
Of the players INDUCED in conversation
saw him once win $3.50 on pair o
aces. But he rarely blulfed. On tn,
other hand, he would never allow any
one to bluff him. He is one of the hes
poker players | have ever watched"